Milwaukee at Minnesota

Bucks 113, Timberwolves 107

CBS SportsLine.com wire reports

Dec. 22, 2006

MINNEAPOLIS -- Kevin Garnett knows who opponents have to stop when they
play the Milwaukee Bucks -- and it isn't
Michael Redd.

"Mo Williams is having a hellified year," said Garnett, who had to make
up a word to describe Williams' emergence in his fourth season. "When
they've won, and won big, he's been the difference. ... He's by far the
reason why they've been able to have success."

Williams followed up his first career triple-double in style, scoring 16
of his 26 points in the fourth quarter to lift the Bucks to a 113-107
victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on
Friday night.

Williams, who had 19 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in a victory
over Miami on Wednesday night, scored six straight points for the Bucks
in the final 2 minutes, and Redd sealed the victory with a jumper with
11.4 seconds to play.

"I feel comfortable in the last part of the game," said Williams, who
has scored 75 points in his last three games. "I have been successful in
those situations. I don't feel too much pressure. I feel good and I am
taking good shots."

Redd scored 29 points on 11-of-25 shooting and Charlie Bell was one
point off his career high with 28 points for the Bucks, who have won
three in a row for the first time this season.

"Yeah, we definitely have a little rhythm going," Bell said. "Everyone
is shooting the ball really well right now. Mo has got it going. Mike
has had it going all season long. We are going out and playing hard."

Garnett had 24 points and 14 rebounds and Mike James scored 28 for the
reeling Timberwolves, who have lost four in a row.

Tempers flared with 5½ minutes to play. Andrew Bogut pushed
Wolves guard Ricky Davis under the basket, drawing a technical foul.
Garnett came to Davis' aid and pushed Bogut after briefly jawing at him.
Garnett and Davis also received technical fouls on the exchange, with
officials being extra vigilant in the wake of the brawl between the
Nuggets and Knicks last week.

Redd made the technical free throw to give the Bucks a 97-96 lead, and
the Timberwolves never regained the lead.

Timberwolves coach Dwane Casey was criticized for leaving Garnett on the
bench too long on Wednesday night against the Lakers, when the Wolves'
second unit let a 12-point fourth-quarter lead slip away in a 111-94
loss.

Casey didn't make the same mistake on Friday night, playing Garnett all
24 minutes of the second half.

Perhaps a little tired, Garnett missed a chance to tie it with 2:42 left
when he only made one of two free throws.

Williams immediately followed with a jumper to start his scoring spurt,
with his last points giving Milwaukee a 110-105 lead with 43 seconds to
play.

It was another rough defensive game for Minnesota, which started the
year as one of the top defensive teams in the league, but have slipped
in the last two weeks.

"At the end of the day, our bread and butter is our 'D,"' Garnett said.
"And we have to get back to that."

Bell started in place of forward Ruben Patterson, who did not make the
trip to the Twin Cities because of a stomach virus.

He scored 17 points in the second quarter on 7-of-9 shooting.

"The rim got big on me and I just started throwing them up there," Bell
said.

Minnesota's losing streak, especially Wednesday night's devastating loss
to the Lakers, have started whispers around town about Casey's job
security.

In an eyebrow-raising scene before the game, Wolves owner Glen Taylor
sat in on Casey's pregame interview session with the media, listening
intently as Casey broke down the collapse against the Lakers and what
needed to be done to turn things around.

Taylor interjected a few times, saying that he remained supportive of
Casey despite his frustration with the team's record (10-13).

"It doesn't bother me," Casey said of the criticism. "I don't even hear
that stuff. I'm more worried about our first-half defense than some
hecklers."

Notes

Patterson is listed as day to day and the Bucks are hopeful he will be
ready to play on Saturday night against New Jersey. ... Davis finished
with 23 points.

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